Samyang (another branding of the filmmaker’s favorite Rokinon lenses) continues to broaden their skillset with their first Nikon AF lens – the full frame AF 14mm f2.8.
An Intro to Samyang
For many years, Samyang and Rokinon created manual focus lenses only. They built their reputation on mid-range primes that were priced very competitively. Over the past couple of years they have slowly added electronics to their lenses, bringing focus confirmation chips and electronic aperture to their lineup. Then, last year, they began introducing autofocus lenses.
Performance and Quality
While we haven’t gotten our hands on one yet, we can assume it will be very close to the Canon EF version of the lens (which we previously covered here). The AF 14mm f2.8 has also been released for Sony E mount as well, where the great bulk of their AF lineup currently resides. Test results and real-world results in the Canon EF version are very positive. It is very evenly sharp once stopped down to f4, and shows fairly minimal color fringing. With any luck, the Nikon edition will perform just as well.
The Autofocus on the Canon EF model was acceptable, both in speed and accuracy, but without blowing any minds or setting any records. It isn’t silent, but isn’t necessarily noisy either. Samyang claims to have updated their design for faster, quieter, more accurate autofocus with this new Nikon F mount edition, though. Time will only tell, but I see no reason to doubt it.
The depth of field on a 14mm is enormous – this was taken at just an f3.5
Who is This 14mm Lens For?
The light weight and weather sealing make this lens an interesting candidate for travel or street photography, although it is a little bit wider than most would usually use. I would expect it to see the most traction in landscapes, astrophotography, architecture, and real estate photography, where wider is almost always bigger.
It faces some competition from SIGMA’s 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art, which is faster, sharper, and built like a tank. But you will pay out the nose for that extra stop and a half – the SIGMA is more than double the price of Samyang’s newest offering. The Nikkor 14mm f/2.8D ED is undoubtedly sharper and has quicker autofocus, but it again costs more than double that of the Samyang AF 14mm F2.8. For what you get, the Samyang AF 14mm f2.8 is a steal of a deal.
Stats and Specs:
Aperture range: F2.8 ~ 22
Lens optical construction: 15 Elements in 10 Groups
Special Lens: ASP 2, ED 1, HR 4
Coating: UMC
Minium Focusing Distance: 0.20m (0.66ft)
Maximum Maginification Ratio: x 0.15
Filter size: N/A
Number of blades: 7
Mount: Nikon F
Angle of view: Full Frame – 116.6 ˚, ASP-C – 92.8 ˚
Maximum diameter: Φ 90.5mm
Length: 93.1mm
Weight without Lens cap, Hood: 474g
Weight: 523g
Weather Sealing: Yes
AF/MF mode switch: Yes
AF Motor: Linear stepping motor
Do you have any experience shooting with Smaynag’s other 14mm lenses, are you happy with with their optical and AF performance? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

The new Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 EF is the company’s first autofocus lens for Canon EF mount. The wide-angle lens will cover full frame and APS-C sensor sizes, using existing Samyang autofocus technology.
Samyang initially blurred the lines against larger lens manufacturers by announcing its venture into the autofocus market in Sony E mount. Once known for its cost-effective, fully-manual primes, its autofocus line for Sony mirrorless cameras has slowly started to take shape.
The Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 EF is unique in that it is the company’s first lens to offer autofocus for the Canon EF mount, as Sony E mount lenses are not compatible due to their shorter flange distance.
It’s a full-frame lens, so will resolve 14mm on the Canon 5D and the like, and around 22mm on APS-C cameras. It is also apparently weather sealed.
The aesthetics are almost identical to current Samyang autofocus lenses: a sleek body with a broad focus ring and a single red band. The difference to Samyang AF E mount offerings is a manual switch on the side to engage autofocus.
True to other wide-angle Samyang lenses, the AF 14mm f/2.8 EF has a non-removable petal hood and bulbous front element, and therefore no front filter thread.
“15 lenses in 10 groups, 7 special optic lenses have been chosen in the production of this lens, to maximise the image quality. The use of 2 aspherical lenses, 4 high-refractive lenses, and 1 extra-low dispersion lens minimises distortion and various aberrations while producing crystal clear resolution.”
Users will be pleased to know that this construction is a slight re-configuration of the current Samyang manual focus 14mm. The former wide angle suffers from unique moustache distortion, something that will hopefully be rectified in this newer design.
Specs:
Aperture Range: F2.8-22
Mount: Canon EF
Construction: 15 Elements/10 Groups
Coating: UMC
MFD: 0.20m (0.65ft)
Magnification Ratio: x0.15
Filter: None
Diaphragm Blades: 7
Sensor Size: Full Frame/APS-C
Length: 95.6mm
Weight: 485g
Availability is marked for February 2018, priced at around €699.
Looking for a wide-angle lens with autofocus capabilities for your Canon camera? Could this option from Samyang fit the bill? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

We caught up with Sigma at their booth at NAB 2017, and took a closer look at some of the latest Sigma cine lenses. We got to see the recently-announced 14mm and 135mm T2 primes, as well as the 24-35mm T2.2 Full-Frame zoom.
We recently reported on the latest announcement in the Sigma cine lens line: the 14mm and 135mm T2. These are the cine versions of the Sigma Art line of stills lenses, which were released just a few months ago.
While the final pricing for these two new Sigma cine lenses hasn’t been announced yet, Patrick from Sigma did tell us about the official price for their original line-up of cinema lenses from last year. The 5 lens range from 20mm to 85mm T2 will be available for $3,500 each, and will be shipping in May in Canon EF and Sony E mounts. PL users will have to wait just a little longer until June.
Also on display was the Sigma Full-Frame 24-35mm Zoom, a lens perhaps better considered as a “variable prime” due to its reduced focal range, though it does provide a fast T2.2 across the board.
Patrick also explains Sigma’s new Fully Luminous option, where even more of the lens markings are coated with luminous paint – a handy feature in dark shooting environments.
Thinking in investing in cinema glass? Are you considering the Sigma cine lenses? Let us know why in the comments section below!

Sigma has announced the two lenses that bookend their FF High Speed Prime cine lens line: the 14mm and 135mm T2.
Sigma 14mm & 135mm T2 FF High Speed Prime Cine Lenses
With these same two focal lengths announced earlier this year in the Sigma Art range, it was only a matter of time before these lens designs found their way to Sigma’s cine line-up. Well, it’s only been just a short couple of months, but the cine version of the 14mm and 135mm have already been announced, and will be on display at NAB in just a few days.
The newest ultra wide in the SIgma FF High Speed Prime range
These two new focal lengths expand the range of the Sigma FF High Speed Prime line at either end of the catalogue, with the two extremes having been until now occupied by the 20mm T1.5 and 85mm T1.5 lenses originally announced last year. This brings the line-up to a total of 7, including the 24mm, 35mm and 50mm T1.5.
The original five FF High Speed Prime cine lenses will start shipping in May, but the newcomers Sigma 14mm and 135mm T2 FF High Speed Prime cine lenses will be available from June-July, with a price-tag that is yet to be determined. Like the rest of the range, they will be available in PL, EF and E-mount.
The most tele of the Sigma FF High Speed Primes, the 135mm T2
Sigma – In Other News…
In addition, Sigma have announced that a version with metric markings, as well as a FULLY LUMINOUS (as opposed to their somewhat luminous STANDARD cine lenses) have also become available in order “to accommodate a wide range of cinematic needs”.
In their latest press release, Sigma also announce that they have begun carrying out their paid Mount Conversion Service for customers wanting to change between the E and EF versions of their lenses.
Sigma High Speed Zoom with E-mount (left) and EF-mount (right)
NAB 2017 is just a few days away, and, like Sigma, many manufacturers have already started to announce their new products ahead of the trade-show-mania. I, for one, am very curious about what the next few days will bring. In the mean time, check out Graham’s hands-on review of the Sigma 18-35 T2 and 50-100 T2 High Speed Zooms, the cine incarnations of the Sigma Art f/1.8 zooms also announced along with the FF High Speed Primes last year.

Samyang released two new XEEN cinema lenses at BVE 2016; the 14mm T3.1 and 35mm T1.5, adding to the existing 24mm, 50mm, and 85mm models. These new designs bring improved optics, a full metal build, and a PL mount—expanding the possibilities of using the lenses on cinema cameras, too.
Richard looked at the 24mm, 50mm and 85mm XEEN lenses in this previous post.
Some of you may remember that the original Samyang VDSLR lenses hit the market at a very affordable price range. I’ve been an avid user of the 14mm, 35mm, and 85mm variants since I got the set back in 2013 and this new range shows how Samyang—a relative newcomer to the video industry—is committed to offering filmmakers top-quality glass that is now ready for 4K.
I was impressed with a few things when I had a brief look at the 35mm variant. Firstly, it has a lot less bleaching when the lens is wide open while boasting sharper visuals, too. The weight of the lens surprised me also, as even with a metal body it seemed to weigh less than the Tamron 24-70 that I was shooting with at the time. Lighter kit is always a bonus for transportation—especially since it lets you fit more into your kit bag.
Finally, the price point of the lenses sits at around $2,495.00 each—with a 5 piece set with a hard case available for just $9,999.00. It definitely brings the lenses in reach of those looking to invest in better optics (which we know can greatly improve picture quality), without having to splash out on Zeiss CP2’s or the Schneider Xenon’s, for example.
A downside to the set of lenses was that they are of different physical lengths, which can be an inconvenience if you are changing lenses with a follow focus and matte box attached to the rig… though I guess you have to compensate somewhere for such an affordable, high-quality outfit.

The Xeen cinema lenses released last year constitute the apex of Samyang’s catering towards filmmakers. Now, two new models have joined the Xeen family.
A few years ago, Samyang’s affordable and all-manual photo prime lenses, became incredibly popular among budget filmmakers. Shortly after that, the Korean manufacturer built upon this initial success and continued to improve their range by featuring de-clicked aperture rings, focus gears and T-stop scales, and the Cine DS line of primes was born. Fast forward to 2015, when Samyang released their Xeen cinema lenses. Check out Richard’s article, from last August, which reveals why they are such a big deal.
With an initial line-up of 24mm, 50mm and 85mm, the Xeen range offered a usable yet somewhat limited variety of focal lengths. However, promotional material on the Samyang page had been hinting at the imminent release of 2 new additions to the Xeen line. Well, they have finally been revealed.
So, what new focal lengths can we expect from the new Xeen? Samyang is filling the centre gap with the standard and versatile focal length of 35mm. Landing between the 50mm—useful but potentially a little tight in certain situations—and the 24mm, which leans toward the wide angle side, the 35mm focal length will certainly be a welcome addition to the range.
The other newcomer fills the gap at the ultra wide-angle end of the spectrum. With the release of a 14mm focal range rated at T3.1, we can see that Samyang’s Xeen range really reflects their previous Cine DS line rather than introducing completely new concepts, at least in what respects to focal lengths and T-stop rating.
But Samyang couldn’t wait to leave us wanting for more. Upon revealing these two new additions, a new mystery lens has been added to their promotional material. Although it has been known for a while that there would be a sixth Xeen lens, initial speculation tended towards telephoto, perhaps a 100mm or 135mm. However, as you can see, we might see something quite different indeed.
A strong contender for the new upcoming wide angle Samyang Xeen could be an 18mm, a focal length until now not available anywhere in the Samyang catalogue. There are of course other rectilinear wide-angle cine lenses in Samyang’s VDSLR range that they could draw inspiration from. The are, however, designed for APS-C or Micro Four Thirds sensors.
All in all, considering the excellent build and image quality of the first three Xeen cinema lenses, we have nothing but high hopes for the new additions to the family.
Be sure to check out Richard’s first impressions review for the low down on Samyang’s Xeen cinema lenses.

Here’s a list of all the co-branded Samyang lenses and how to get the best deals on them.
These lenses are a good choice for filmmakers on a budget who are looking to shoot with prime lenses that are somewhat cine-worthy.

If you’ve been shopping affordable manual prime lenses for your HDSLR then you’ve probably stumbled upon or even own the famous Samyang / Rokinon lenses like the $500 35mm f/1.4 or the $400 14mm ultra-wide.
[UPDATE]: cinema5D member Gumzster informed me that the 8mm fisheye already exists as a cine version.
[UPDATE 2]: The Samyang 35mm T1.5 Cine lenses is now available for pre-order $549:
“Rokinon 35mm T1.5 cine lens will be available in U.S in few weeks and Rokinon 24mm T1.5 & 14mm T3.1 cine lens will be available in U.S in September.”